


Trickster's Heart

by baileek313



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), Persona 2, Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona 5, Persona Series, Persona | Revelations Persona
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Kurosu Jun & Suou Tatsuya Are the Parents of Persona 5 Protagonist, M/M, Once Upon A Time AU, a little bit of it sprinkled here and there anyway, but you don't need to watch the show to read, not all relationships are tagged, tags added as time goes on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-06-28 05:23:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19805626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baileek313/pseuds/baileek313
Summary: Life hasn't been all too kind to Ren. Any hope that he once had has been mercilessly torn away from him. Things begin to change the night of his twenty-first birthday when a little girl named Lavenza shows up at his door and bring him to her hometown. According to Lavenza, the town is under a dreadful curse. Ren is the only one that can break it and save everyone - his own parents included. He was sent away as a child by them in order to be kept safe from the Curse's power. But that's impossible. Magic doesn't exist.If that's the case... then why does everything about this town seem familiar?





	Trickster's Heart

**Author's Note:**

> I have absolutely no impulse control. This was actually a combination of that, as well as being left alone without the source of my impulse control for a week with an enabler. I wanted to do this, I lack restraint to not to. Especially since there aren't any fics that I know of that are like this, and I have the power to make one.
> 
> So this is a thing now. I apologize in advance if it's not what you expect or if it doesn't flow right. I tried my best, and that's all that really matters. But I do have a lot of ideas for a majority of plot points in this fic. Bandits, traitors, angst, fluff and messing around with Ren's head.
> 
> Yeah. This is might actually be fun.

_ The most precious thing in the world is something that cannot be seen by mortal eyes. _

* * *

_ It had rained the night before, the prince could tell. The roads were slick with water when he and his companion had set out that morning. The drops clung stubbornly onto the forest floor when they journeyed off of the path, and still did hours later. The prince wondered how long it would take for the dew to dry up. And yet, he watched his companion lead him through the wood. _

_ “Remind me,” said the prince, picking up his pace so that the two were walking side by side. “Why did you want to come out here?” _

_ “I want to see if it’s still here.” It? There was nothing in this part of the forest besides… Ah. That  _ it _. _

_ “Why?” _

_ “Just…” His compatriot sighed, faltering in his steps for a brief moment. The prince reached out, lacing his fingers with his companion’s and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. _

_ “Are you having those nightmares again?” He shook his head. _

_ “No, not for a while now. I simply want to see it. Especially with everything that’s been happening lately.” The grip the prince had on his hand grew tighter. _

_ “He can’t hurt you anymore.” His companion glanced over at him, brown eyed gaze narrowed. _

_ “Can you really confirm that?” _

_ “Well…” The prince sighed, defeated by the simple question. _

_ “That’s what I thought.” They were working on solving the problem. It had become their number one priority after securing the kingdom’s throne. “It shouldn’t be that far from here, right?” _

_ “Right.” They kept walking through the forest, until a familiar-looking clearing came into view. In the center, carved out from a fallen tree, was a glass coffin. Ivy and moss had claimed it, wrapping the once clear surface in its foliage. The pair merely stood there, the prince watching as his companion traced a hand over the plant life on the glass lid. _

_ Memories of the day they last saw that coffin flooded into the prince’s head. The fear he felt, that sinking despair over finding his loved one caught in a death-like sleep, the pain screaming through his body… and the elated joy that filled his heart when he broke that dreadful curse. But still, the coffin brought back more negative emotions than positive. The prince glanced over at his companion, whose eyes had glazed over. He put a hand on his shoulder. _

_ “Jun?” Jun blinked, brought back to reality by the prince’s voice and his touch. _

_ “I find it odd that something like this…” He sucked breath in through his teeth, “It doesn’t feel all that long ago, no matter how many years have passed.” The prince sighed, resting his head on Jun’s shoulder. _

_ “I’m sorry,” he muttered, circling his arms around the other. _

_ “Don’t blame yourself, Tatsuya.” Jun placed his hands on top of the prince’s. “It was my own fault that I ended up here.” Tatsuya glanced over at him, lifting his head. _

_ “You did it to save my life, which wouldn’t have been in danger if I—” _

_ “If you hadn’t tried to stop me.” The scar on Tatsuya’s shoulder ached as he was reminded of the event. What had lead to that was also his fault. All in all, it was a series of cards that each of them kept playing, one right after the other. They were both to blame for what happened here.  _

_ “Would you change it?” Tatsuya asked, Jun humming in response to his question. “Would you change everything that happened if it meant you didn’t have to taste that fruit?” Jun shifted in his arms, turning around in order to face Tatsuya. _

_ “What happened lead me find you, didn’t it?” he said with a smirk. He pressed a quick kiss to Tatsuya’s lips before he could reply. He already knew the answer. _

_ “Are you ready to head back?” Jun nodded, and the two pulled away from each other. They began to make their way back to the roads, as well as the castle they lead to. As soon as their feet hit the stone path, a high-pitched shriek cut through the mid-morning calm. The two exchanged glances with one another. Tatsuya could feel his heart stop. The pair didn’t waste another second. They rushed towards the source of the scream. _

_ Standing in the middle of the road was a figure. They were surrounded by a thick, flickering smoke. But that smoke did not hide what was lying at their feet. It was a woman, curled up around something and unmoving. Tatsuya drew the sword hanging at his side. _

_ “Hey!” he shouted, his body moving before he could even think about it. The figure seemed to growl as Tatsuya approached. With a flick of its hand, one of the smoking tendrils shot out. It collided with the prince, throwing him back to his starting position. Jun caught him before he could hit the ground, skidded back a few inches. _

_ “Are you alright?” Jun asked as Tatsuya’s sense caught up to him. _

_ “I’m fine.” Tatsuya replied with a nod. “Don’t worry about me.” _

_ “No matter how much you say that, I never won’t worry.” Jun pulled Tatsuya back onto his feet. Each felt their defense build. Tatsuya tightened the grip on his sword’s hilt, while Jun went for the dagger at his belt. The figure looked down at the woman. For a second, Tatsuya could have sworn that he heard the figure scoff. There was a snap, and the figure vanished into thin air. _

_ After taking a still moment to assure that the thing was gone, Tatsuya and Jun rushed towards the fallen woman. _

_ “Miss, are you—?!” Tatsuya reached her first, sheathing his blade as he knelt down beside her. Her eyes were closed. She was cold. He couldn’t feel a pulse when he went to look for it. _

_ “She’s gone,” Tatsuya announced as Jun joined his side. They had been too late. There was a solemn moment before either one of them found the nerve to speak again. _

_ “What do you think happened?” Jun asked. _

_ “Highwaymen? Thieves?” _

_ “Around these parts?”  _

_ “Ironic for that to come out of your mouth.” Tatsuya could feel the glare Jun was giving him. _

_ “You saw that thing. That was no thief.” Tatsuya felt his mouth grow dry at the reminder of what they had just witnessed. The longer he thought about it... “You don’t think…?” _

_ “What we saw was Him? That He killed her?” Jun nodded. “Possibly.” _

_ “What did he want? He doesn’t kill without reason.” Jun had a point. He never killed without cause. Had the woman made a deal she couldn’t keep? Did she have something he wanted? Tatsuya offered up a shrug, as he could only hazard a guess as to what… wait. _

_ He turned the woman over. Cradled in her arms was a thick blanket with whatever was hidden away inside was huddled close to her chest. Was this what she had been trying so hard to protect? He pulled at the folds of the blanket. He blinked, staring at what she had been hiding. An infant with dark curls had been sound asleep in her arms. _

_ “A child?” said Jun, crouching down to get a better look at their find. Tatsuya carefully pried the woman’s arms away, taking caution to not move the infant too much. Gently, he took the child into his arms. It couldn’t have been more than a few hours old, or barely even a day. It was a miracle they didn’t wake. It was a miracle that the child had even survived. _

_ Wait a moment. _

_ “Jun,” said Tatsuya, slowly rising as to not wake the child. _

_ “I know what you’re going to say,” Jun said, standing up besides his partner, “but it doesn’t make any sense. Why would someone kill a mother for her child?” Tatsuya could only offer up another shrug. “We can’t leave like this, can we?” _

_ “I can call the guard out here to investigate.” That was all they could do for now. However, there was still one matter they had to attend to. “But there isn’t a village for miles, I don’t know what we can do about…” Tatsuya glanced at the child. _

_ “We could…” Jun was biting his lip when Tatsuya returned his attention to him. _

_ “Are you sure?” he asked, a brow raised. _

_ “Are you?” That question seemed to be carrying more weight to it than it should. “You seem hesitant.” _

_ “With everything that’s happened…” The figure fashed into his mind once again, “and is still happening…” _

_ “Things are calming down. And we can’t leave them out here.” The child yawned, curling up close to the prince’s chest. Both of them were making this decision not any easier for him. “Not to mention, if He killed the child’s mother to get to said child, it would be better that they were under our watch and not unprepared villagers’... don’t you agree?” _

_ Tatsuya sighed. His choice was already made the moment he had taken the child into his arms. _

_ “You’re explaining this when we get back.” _

_ “I was already going to.” At least that was taken care of. Tatsuya would not have to face the bombardment of questions that he and Jun were going to face upon their return. It would make things a lot easier in the long run, especially when it came to the court’s acceptance. But… with one thing taken care of, another need arose. _

_ "He's going to need a name. I mean, I'm sure the kid has one, but…" Jun was oddly silent. “Jun?” Jun was staring out at the nearby river. Tatsuya followed his gaze. There was a flower floating along against the current. _

_ "I think I have an idea." _

* * *

“Yeah, that's what my name means.” The young man looked up at his co-workers through dark, frizzy hair, pushing his glasses back into place with a sigh. “I don't see why you're bringing it up. You're just choosing flowers for the head detective's retirement. Besides, I don't think you can have lotus flowers in an arrangement.”

He had been doing nothing but listening to the conversation the detectives were wrapped up in. Unlike most of the words that the receptionist caught in the precinct, this one had to be the more domestic. 

“Ren has a point,” said the female detective among the trio that had parked themselves in front of Ren’s desk.

“He’s just a secretary,” added another. Ren grit his teeth, pausing in his typing work. He cast a glare up at the detective who had just spoken. “Why listen to what he said? He isn’t even a member of the force.”

“Hey, I took the exam!” Ren said, a bit louder than he wanted as he stood. He cleared his throat at the eyes that had fallen upon him. “And I passed.”

"And yet, the little kid couldn’t get anything past secretary,” he heard the oldest detective in the conversation say.

“I'm not a kid.” Ren couldn’t deny anything beyond that. He sighed. “How about I go get the flowers when I come in tomorrow and you three stop teasing me like ten year olds?”

“Add on a coffee run, and you got yourself a deal, Amamiya.” Ren sighed. Crisis averted. At least for the time being. He sat back down, returning to his assignment. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the female detective grab her male counterpart by the tie and drag him off to the side.

“I don’t know why you bully him,” said the woman in what she probably thought was a low whisper. Ren bit his tongue. At least someone was standing up for him. Being the youngest member on the police department’s payroll, he usually had to endure the harassment of the other detectives.

“Because it’s fun, and he makes it easy?” And it was because of assholes like this that he had to grin and bear it. This was the closest thing he could get to working in the force himself. And he probably knew why. He caught sight of the woman smacking the man on the arm.

“Stop it. At least for today. It’s his birthday. And you know fairly well he has no one to celebrate with.” Ren stared at the keyboard in front of him.

“...right.” That reminder stung worse than anything. The young man had no friends, no family… no relationships of any kind, really. For the past fifteen years, he had been alone. Ren shoved his hand into his pocket, grasping at what rested inside his jacket. Out of sight of his co-workers, he ran his thumb over the item in an attempt to ease the ache in his heart.

“Who’s that?” Ren’s head snapped up. A pair of officers, lead by a detective, had entered the room. With them was a rather disheveled looking man in handcuffs.

“Just some guy we caught. Could finally close that embezzlement case.” Ren sighed, pushing himself up out of his chair.

“I’ll go get the paperwork…” He didn’t need to be told to. There was a reason that had parked themselves in front of him when they came back in. Ren made his way over to the filing cabinet behind him, listening carefully as he began to sort through the papers. 

“Wasn’t that the guy who killed that family?” Ren faltered. Why did today seem to have the theme of constantly kicking him while he was already down? He really hoped that wasn’t going to keep up.

“We’re looking for a connection to that case. Suzuki thinks that he stabbed his wife, his kids and then was going to skip town with the money.” He heard one of the officers hiss.

“Yikes. Who could do that to someone, let alone their own family?” Before the conversation could go on, a loud crash echoed throughout the precinct, followed by several people shouting. Spinning around fast enough to give himself whiplash, Ren saw the cause of the commotion. The man that had just been brought into custody had broken loose. He knew that they should be more careful when putting suspects in the holding cell, but did they listen to Ren? Of course not.

The sight of the criminal escaping through the panicking crowd trying to scramble together made something click. Ren, abandoning his task, leapt over the desk. He rushed after the perp without a second thought. The vault over the desk gave him something of a head start, but it didn’t keep him from getting caught in the crowd.

Lucky for him, there was a back up plan. Hanging above the ceiling were bars. Pipes, really, but to Ren, it didn’t really matter. With the help of a nearby trash can, Ren pushed himself up high enough to reach them. That swing forward was just what he needed. It put him ahead of the game. Ren sprinted forward, chasing after the criminal. He knew every shadow, every nook and every cranny. And that what put him at the advantage.

Or at least that’s what Ren thought. He had made it to the upper level of the lobby, staring down and searching the crowd below. Wasn’t that hard to spot the attempted escape artist. He couldn’t go through the front, he would be captured too easily. Watching his target move, Ren caught sight on one of the emergency exits. Ren could probably beat him there before he got out. He had to be careful. Ren didn’t. And there was an open window leading to right where to where he wanted to be.

Only one problem: the other side of the second floor were basically ledges surrounded by fences. Ren could barely fit in them. That left two options, one of which being to leave and let him go. That wasn’t something Ren was willing to do. He sighed. This would probably be one of the most dangerous and reckless things Ren had ever done, or at least find a place on that list.

He smirked. Reckless or not, it was a good plan. He didn’t have much of a choice either. Ren pushed himself up on the railing. Using his speed to keep him from falling, he ran along it and towards the open window. Crouching down and taking a breath, Ren shut his eyes. He took a leap of faith. Quite literally, in fact, as he jumped from the second-story window.

He landed on the ground below, rolling on concrete and letting out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. Without hesitating another moment, he ducked into the shadows, listening carefully and keeping his eye on the door. The moment it opened, Ren darted forward. He tackled the would-be escapee.

“Nice try. But escaping isn’t as easy as you think,” said Ren with a small chuckle. He actually hadn’t expected his plan to work. He thought at least he was going to break a bone or something. Ren tightened his grip on the man’s wrist as he tried to get away. 

“You don't have to turn me in!” said the man as Ren pulled him to his feet. “I can pay you! I got money!”

“Tell that to your family.”

“They would have taken it from me!” Ren pushed the man to the door. “That bitch would’ve stopped me! They knew too much, they had to go.”

“So, you really did kill them?” His struggle slowed. The man groaned as the smirk grew on Ren’s face. “Good to know.” He pushed the man forward. As soon as the two of them re-entered the station, it didn’t take very long for officers to swarm him. Handcuffs were slapped on the man’s wrists. Defeated, Ren watched as he was dragged away. He sighed. Well… here went nothing. He walked up to one of the senior officers, tapping the man on the shoulder.

“I got him to confess. He killed them. His family, he killed them.” All he got was a nod. Ren bit his lip. “I don't understand how someone could do that to their family.”

“Tell me, Amamiya,” said the officer. “What exactly does someone like you know about family?” Ren sighed, pushing his glasses back into place.

“...nothing, sir,” he said. Ren’s hand slid into his pocket, grasping at what he had hidden in his pocket. The dull pain in his chest returned. “Nothing at all.”

* * *

_ Time had moved on, and old problems gave away to new. However, the new situation the court of Sumaru found themselves in could very well lead to all of their troubles being resolved. The idea had been simple, and the plan was already underway. While Tatsuya was confident in the scheme (most likely because it had been his in the first place), one loyal member of the guard were having second thoughts. _

_ He, Jun as well as their three closest confidants were walking down the castle’s corridors, the group abuzz with their doubts about the plan. Well… one person expressing her doubts about the plan, anyway. _

_ “And what if that doesn’t work?” said the captain of the guard, faltering for a split second in that confident look on her face. “...how do portals work anyway?” _

_ “Hey, Maya, it’s not that hard to understand,” said one of her subordinates, slinging an arm around Maya’s shoulder. “We freeze him, we push him through the hole and bam. Problem solved.” _

_ “Eikichi,” Maya ducked, sliding out of Eikichi’s hold, “if portals can be opened on one end, does that not mean they can be opened from the other?” Eikichi opened his mouth, only for no reply to come out. Not even Tatsuya had thought about that. _

_ “Then we send him to a place where He can’t use his magic,” said the third guard, a young blonde woman. _

_ “Excuse me for not being optimistic about this, Lisa.” Lisa frowned. This wasn’t like Maya at all. Though, with what she had gone through, Tatsuya couldn’t blame her for being so uneasy. _

_ “Aren’t you the one who's always telling us to stay positive?” he said. Lisa nodded, her frown fading away. _

_ “That’s right, Maya!” She was forcing that grin, wasn’t she? “Can’t you trust us a little? The princess thinks this plan will work, and so does her husband.” _

_ “I trust all of you, but…” Maya sighed, “it’s just a feeling I have.” _

_ “The plan will work,” said Jun, his hands folded behind his back as he strode along side the others. “All of us will finally be free from his influence and that atmosphere of fear. We’ll be free to live our lives again.” _

_ “You mean the kid will be safe,” Eikichi said, summarizing exactly what was going through Jun’s head. Tatsuya nodded. That was another positive in their plan. The monster that sought out to harm their ally was the same being who had attempted to get at the child they had found almost six years ago now. Eikichi looked around, his eyes darting outside a passing window. “Hey, where is the pipsqueak anyway?” _

_ “In the courtyard.” At least that’s where Tatsuya had last seen him. “Why?” _

_ “Are you sure it’s alright for him to be on his own?” Maya asked, an eyebrow raised. _

_ “He shouldn’t be.” Tatsuya had left him under the care of a few of the guards when he had left to take care of this. His child should be fine. But still… the way Maya had phrase it… It made something in his stomach grow uneasy. _

_ In that brief moment Tatsuya took to collect his thoughts, a crash resounded throughout the castle. Given the direction the noise had come from, it came from the courtyard below. The five exchanged glances with each other. They didn’t waste a second, quickly readying their weapons and rushing to the courtyard. _

_ What exactly Tatsuya had sought to prevent was coming into fruition. That smoking, writing figure of his nightmares was standing around unconscious guards, blades snapped in half like twigs. He couldn’t see the true being under all that smoke. But he could see something wrapped in its hands. It held a small child, who was screaming with thick tears rolling down his face. Tatsuya’s heart sunk. _

_ “NO!” shouted both he and Jun. _

_ “I got it!” Eikichi had an arrow drawn and ready in a flash. It took less than a second for him to take aim and let it loose. The arrow struck the smoking mass in the shoulder. There was a cry of pain. In shock of the injury, the creature dropped the boy. Tatsuya rushed forward, catching his son before he could hit the cobblestone. _

_ “It’s alright,” Tatsuya muttered as the boy curled up in his father’s arms, lining on tightly as if his life depended on it. “I got you…” Tatsuya glared at the creature, backing away from the being. The group had split, weapons drawn and at the ready. The smoke encircling the creature shrunk, allowing the being to take on humanoid form once again. Piercing red eyes scowled at the prince. With a growl, the man launches himself forward, that arrow still in his shoulder. _

_ With a flick of Jun’s wrists, thick roots broke through the stone. They wrapped around the man’s limbs, pulling him down and pinning him to the ground. Jun’s hands were shaking as he fought to keep that being held down. _

_ “You’re not welcome here,” said Maya firmly, her hold on her daggers threatening to snap the hilts in two. _

_ “How did it even get in here?” Tatsuya heard Eikichi mutter out loud, drawing back another arrow. Tatsuya stared down at the man who had threatened the well-being of his child. _

_ “You’re wasting your time. Your defeat is imminent,” Tatsuya said. The boy’s crying had yet to cease, and his father could feel him shake. “And I will not let you harm a hair on my son’s head.” _

_ “Do you really think these vines can restraint me?” said Him, acting as if the weight of the roots did not even bother him. They probably didn’t.  _

_ “No,” said Lisa through her teeth, her fists shaking with how tightly she had them bound, “but an arrow to the knee or a sword through your back will!” The being glanced over at Lisa before letting out a dark chuckle. _

_ “As if you would be able to do that.”  _

_ “Want to find out?” said Eikichi. An arrow struck the ground near him. As Eikichi drew another, one of the roots began to crack. _

_ “Leave,” said Tatsuya, his grip on the child tightening as he took a step back. As much as he hated having to use his allies as a leverage… to protect the boy… “Unless you want your plans cut prematurely short.” The cracking ceased. Those red eyes glared up at the prince, a sneer curled up on the creature’s lips. _

_ “You can’t stop me,” he seethed. “You won’t be able to stop me.” Those glowing eyes… Tatsuya reached for his sword. _

_ “Tatsuya…!” Jun grabbed his wrist before he could even touch the hilt. One of the roots slackened its hold.  _

_ “Don’t stoop to his level,” Maya said firmly. The group’s tension didn’t seem to relax, and their guard did not fall. _

_ “It’s the truth,” said the creature. His lips curled up into a smirk. “Not long from now, everything that you love…” Those eyes scanned the group that had surrounded him, and He laughed again, “everything that all of you love… will be taken from you by a magic as dark as my own. Your happiness will be destroyed, and while you all suffer, that Trickster shall finally be mine.” The boy buried his face into Tatsuya’s shirt. “I will destroy you all… if it is the last thing that I do.” _

_ “No!” A dagger came flying at the man. With a chilling laugh, the man disappeared into smoke. The weapon hit the ground. Jun’s hold on Tatsuya only grew tighter as the pair exchanged a look. They didn’t bother to try and hide their fear. Their son’s sobs echoed throughout the courtyard. _

* * *

Ren was done with today, and it was only 6:00 PM. Every muscle in his body ached when he kicked open his apartment door. He was tired. Yeah, working was the absolute best way to celebrate his birthday. Especially since it ended with that little fiasco. Ren bit back a groan as the memory flooded through his mind again. Despite being the one who actually caught the guy, Ren had been overlooked. All the credit had gone to the arresting officer.

As if Ren had expected any less. That was reality, alright. Constantly kicking Ren to keep him down. The young man sighed as he swiftly changed out of his work clothes and into something a bit more comfortable, taking care in switching his watch from pocket to pocket. Once all was settled, Ren made his way into the kitchen. 

Sitting in the refrigerator was a single slice of cake that Ren had purchased on his way home from work the day before. He jammed a cheap, hundred yen candle that he had also bought into the center. It wasn’t much, but it was what he had.

“Another year, another disappointment,” Ren muttered to himself as he lit the candle. He stared into the flames, his mind filled of a time that he wished he could have back. That gentle song she would sing after curfew, risking them both getting into trouble. It wasn’t much, but it was all he had for years before the system took care of that.

With a sigh, Ren closed his eyes. He made a silent wish in his apartment’s kitchen. He blew out the candle. Ren dropped his head onto the counter with a groan. Happy birthday to him indeed. What was the point of saying that anymore? He hadn’t been truly happy in a long time.

There was a knock on the door a second after Ren’s forehead hit the countertop. The young man raised his head. That was odd. He wasn’t expecting any visitors. A few seconds went by before the knock repeated. Maybe if he just stood there, whomever was at the door would just go away…

About a minute went by, and only then the knocking got worse. At this point, the neighbors were bound to start complaining. With a heavy sigh, Ren pushed away from the counter.

“Hold on!” he called out to whomever had chosen to visit him. “I’m coming.” To his relief, the knocking had ceased as he jogged towards the door. He swung it open without giving who exactly his visitor could be much thought.

Standing in the hall was a young girl, barely into her teen years by the looks of it. She had long, platinum blonde hair spanning the length of her back that was held back by a headband. Her golden eyes focused on Ren’s own blackish-grey as she shifted the heavy-looking book in her arms.

“Um…” Ren leaned against the doorframe, resting a hand upon it, “Can I help you…?”

“Is your name Ren?” said the girl without missing a beat.

“Um…” He blinked.

“Are you Ren?” the girl repeated with a bit more firmness in her tone.

“Yes…?” Ren raised a brow. What exactly was going on?

“When you were a child, were you found abandoned? Alone? Perhaps somewhere in the woods?” Ren’s grip on the doorframe grew tighter. He straightened, the relaxed posture he had upon answering the door completely gone.

“What do you want?” The girl’s calm expression didn’t falter at Ren’s sudden change of tone.

“My name is Lavenza,” said the girl. “I need you to come with me to save your family.” 

Ren stood there, his eyes widened and his mouth agape. He had heard what she said, there was no doubt about it. Something stabbed at his chest.

_ "Papa…" _

_ “We love you, Ren. Never forget that your father and I love you more than anything in the world. Find us.” _

Ren came back to his senses when the girl bumped into him, knocking him from his stupor as she made her way into his apartment. He blinked once, twice before realizing exactly what just happened. He shook his head, turning on his heel as the memory faded away in his mind. 

“Hey, kid! Kid! Kid, wait! ” said Ren, following the girl into his living room. She stopped, turning to face Ren with an expression of innocent curiosity. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Where are your parents?”

“That’s not important.” Of course it was important. “Do you mind if I use your bathroom? The train car I was on didn’t have one, and I was afraid to move between the cars.” Ren opened his mouth to say something, to get out some sort of question that would lead him to figuring out what this strange girl was doing here. In the end, he couldn’t come up with anything. He merely sighed, pointing her in the direction of it.

The girl thanked him, disappearing down the hall. Ren leaned up against the wall, running his hands through his hair. This was not how he wanted to spend the evening. He had planned to spend it alone. A nice quiet night in was what he needed after all he had went through earlier that day. It wasn’t ideal, but...

And that memory… who exactly was saying that to him? Ren scrunched his face as he tried to recall the words. They had been so clear before, but now… now it was starting to get hazy. Everything else surrounding what was said was a blur, Ren couldn’t remember what happened before or after. Only those words. Even then, he couldn’t identify the voice, or even put a face to it.

Only one thing that he could recall stood out to him. The mention of his father… had it been his mother who told him that…? He shook his head. No, that first voice was his own, he knew that much. Had he been referring to who he was talking to as his father? It had to have been one of his parents. That much was clear. Either way, the whole scenario was impossible. Why would anyone say that to him, let alone his parents? His parents had—

“We should probably get going.” Ren blinked, drawing himself out of his thoughts. The girl had returned, standing before Ren. How long had she been there? “If there’s anything you wish to do before we leave, I suggest you take care of it now.”

“Going?” said Ren, earning a nod from the girl. “Going where?”

“I told you. I need you to come with me.”

“Okay…?” Ren reached for the phone in his back pocket. “I’m calling the police.”

“I’ll tell them that you kidnapped me from the station.” He stopped, staring at the girl.

“Really?” She nodded. “Because you know we have access to the security cameras at the train station.” That confidence she had disappeared as her face fell. The girl was quiet. “That’s what I thought.” Ren went for his phone again. The girl shot out an arm, grabbing Ren’s wrist.

“Please!” she cried out, biting her lip. “...Don’t call the police. Please, come home with me.” Ren sighed. The girl was borderline begging now. She just wanted to be taken home. By why? Why go through all that trouble to just come and get him if she wanted to go home? God, this was making his head hurt. Ren cleared himself of the thought. She wanted to go home? Alright then, he would take her home himself.

“Where’s home?” Ren asked.

“A small town, out near the coastline. If you have a map somewhere, I could show you.”

“Just need the name,” said Ren, making his way towards the door. He grabbed his shoes from the entryway. The girl followed him as if she were a duckling following its mother.

“Sutori.” Ren froze for a second. He sighed, finishing tying up his laces as he gave the girl a look.

“Really?” he asked, standing up and reaching for his hanging jacket. “That’s what you’re going with?”

“That  _ is _ the name.” Ren sighed. He wasn’t going to argue with a little girl about this. He had heard weirder names for places, anyway.

“Alright.” He opened the door, ushering to girl out back into the hall. “Let’s get you back home, kid.” He caught sight of the smile that the girl was now wearing, proud that she had managed to convince Ren to take her home.

Well, this wasn’t how he expected to spend his birthday, but an unexpected road trip seemed better than nothing.

* * *

_ Things should have been calm. The kingdom… no, the entire realm was free of the creeping evil. And yet, Tatsuya still felt that lingering tension in the air around the castle. It wasn’t hard to figure out why. The courtyard only recently had been repaired from the whole incident. The physical damage might have been fixed, but the mental… the emotional… that’s where the tension had been coming from. _

_ Tatsuya tracked down his partner that morning to the castle gardens. Jun stood there, tending to the plants. He was so deep into his task that he failed to notice Tatsuya’s presence. Even from this distance, he could see the frustration in Jun’s movements. That frustration was confirmed when Jun cried out in pain, having nicked himself on the shears in hand. The tool clattered to the ground, and the bleeding finger was brought to his mouth. _

_ “Are you alright?” Jun picked up his head, turning promptly on his heel to face his partner. _

_ “Where’s—” _

_ “With my brother,” Tatsuya replied, not needing Jun to finish his question to know what he was going to ask. Jun relaxed immediately. There was a lingering tension in his shoulders. “Is something wrong?” _

_ “Nothing’s wrong.” Jun bent down, picking up the shears he had dropped. “Why does something have to be wrong?” _

_ “Are you still thinking about what happened?” Jun was quiet as he stood. Tatsuya sighed, taking Jun’s injured hand into his own. He had lost count of how many times they had talked about this since the attack. “Jun, we can’t keep having this conversation. You have to let it go.”  _

_ “I have not slept soundly since that day,” said Jun as he pulled away. _

_ “That’s just what he wants. He wants to get in your head.” It wouldn’t have been the first time it happened, and Tatsuya refused to let it happen again. “It was an empty threat from a desperate man. He can't hurt us where he is anymore.” _

_ “That’s what I thought the first time around. You have no idea what that…” Jun’s grip on the shears tightened, “that  _ thing _ is capable of.” He was right. Tatsuya couldn’t begin to imagine what exactly had gone on the first time. But unlike then, he was here. Jun wasn’t alone. _

_ “Tell me,” Tatsuya wrapped his arms around Jun’s waist, “what can I do to ease your mind?” Jun was quiet for a moment. He shut his eyes, drawing in a breath. _

_ “… let me talk to… you-know-who.” _

_ “Talk to…?” The look Jun gave him made it click. Tatsuya pulled away from him, his eyes widening. “No. No, Jun, no.” _

_ “I know you hate him, but he is also the only one who can predict and counteract that demon’s movements! He can see the future. He’ll know how to stop that awful monster.” _

_ “Jun, he’s played with us worse than that… Him.” If anything, the two were exactly the same in Tatsuya’s mind. The only difference what side they decided to fight for. Benevolent or malevolent, it didn’t matter. Tatsuya would not stand to let that master of magic anywhere near— _

_ “Can you promise me our son will be safe?” Tatsuya stared at Jun. “Can you guarantee it? Because he can.” _

_ Jun had a point. That thing had come after their son twice. He had threatened the boy, it was him that creature was after. He couldn’t argue with that, and Jun knew it. The safety of the child was far too big a risk to take. He sighed. _

_ “Alright,” said Tatsuya with a nod. “For our son.” _

* * *

The drive, for the most part, was spent in an awkward silence. The only time that silence was broken was when the girl who had appeared at Ren’s door had to relay directions to Ren. Other than that, she was quiet and kept to herself with her nose in her book. Well… that was until Ren heard her stomach growl like an angry bear.

“When was the last time you ate?” Ren asked her, giving the girl a glance as the sound subsided. She was quiet. “We can stop somewhere if you want.” She shook her head. “Why not? You don’t even have to get out of the car.”

“No stopping,” said the girl, digging her nails into the cover of her book, “We can’t stop.”

“Kid, I’m pretty sure all of Japan just heard your stomach.”

“I’m not a kid.” Ren could feel her glare on him, he didn’t even have to look to know she was doing it. “My name is Lavenza. Lavenza Velvette.” Okay, weird name befitting a weird girl. Ren glanced over at her once more. She had absorbed herself back into that book. 

“What’re you reading?” Ren asked in an attempt to keep the quiet from forming again.

“I’m…” Lavenza sighed, shutting her book and letting it rest in her lap, “not sure that you’re ready to know.” Ren cast another glance her way. The cover of the book was well-worn leather, rubbed smooth by time. On the front, in golden letters was the title “ONCE UPON A TIME”.

“Ready? For what? Fairy tales?” With a title like that, what else could the book be about? And Lavenza was glaring at him again.

“They are not fairy tales,” she said sharply. She brought the book up to her chest, cradling it as if it were the last book on Earth. “They are true. Every story in this book actually happened.”

“Of course they did,” Ren said with a roll of his eyes and another sigh. Though, he had to be honest, that was the first of many stories that he had heard people come up with on the fly. And a little too… she was glaring at him again, wasn’t she? Yup. She was.

“I’m not lying. It’s the truth.” 

“Just because you believe something, doesn’t automatically make it the truth.” If that was the case, then things in Ren’s life would have gone far differently than they actually did.

“But it  _ is _ true, and you should know that better than anyone.” Ren raised an eyebrow, giving Lavenza one more look.

“Why?” 

“Because you’re in this book.” Ren was silent for a moment. He was a character in her book? A book about fairy tales? Or at least something like that. Ren bit back a groan. He shook his head.

“Kid… I’m not… Fairy tales aren’t—” Ren was cut off when Lavenza’s stomach gave out another growl, this one louder than the last. He sighed. “Yeah, we’re stopping somewhere to get you some food.”

* * *

_ This whole visit left a bad taste in Tatsuya’s mouth, and he had yet to lay eyes on the man. He hated this wizard with a burning passion, but he wasn’t going to argue that Jun had a valid point. He was the only one who knew what was going to happen, if the threat held any power. _

_ A young woman in blue had met them at the door, claiming that she had been waiting for them. Tatsuya didn’t know how, considering the fact that both he and Jun had their faces hidden by the hoods they wore. She lead them through a dimly lit hallway that seemed to glow gold in the torchlight. None of these succeeded in soothing Tatsuya’s nerves. _

_ “Are you sure about this?” Tatsuya asked, leaning closer towards Jun. He nodded. _

_ “Positive.” They stopped at the door at the hall. The woman promptly knocked upon it. _

_ “Sir?” she called. There was no immediate answer. When she went to knock again, a voice from the inside responded before her knuckles could even hit the wood. _

_ “Enter.” The woman opened the door to a circular room. The walls were lined with a pattern of pillars and bookshelves filled with haphazardly laid items that didn’t seem to belong there. Like the rest of the place, it was glowing gold. At least it was brighter than the hall. _

_ Standing at the far end of the room was a man, dressed in a long white coat. He had long, reddish-black hair that was tied back into a ponytail. An ornate, golden butterfly mask hid any desirable features from view. He did not turn upon the door opening, merely taking care of whatever was on the desk in front of him. The woman in blue lead the two into the center of the room before bowing to the man. _

_ “Master Philemon, there’s someone here to—” _

_ “Jun Kurosu and Prince Tatsuya Suou,” said the man, finally leaving his work to rest on the desk. He glanced over at the woman as she rose, keeping her head low. “Thank you, Margaret. You are dismissed.” The woman, Margaret, gave him a nod. Tatsuya caught sight of the woman throwing a look her master’s way before exiting the room. The door softly shut behind her. There was a stale silence hanging in the air, only broken when Philemon sighed. _

_ “I must admit,” said Philemon, turning to properly face the two who had sought him out. “I’m surprised to see you again, Suou. Especially with what happened the last time you and I were alone.” Tatsuya’s hand curl up into a fist beneath his cloak. “You can remove those ridiculous robes, now.” Jun and Tatsuya exchanged looks with each other before following through with the request, lowering their hoods to reveal their faces. “Much better, isn’t it?” _

_ “We’ve come to ask you about—” Tatsuya began, only to be cut off when Philemon raised his hand. _

_ “You don’t need to say it, I know why you’re here. You want to know about my brother’s threat, am I correct?” Jun nodded in response. “I can ease your mind. But, it will cost you something in return.” Of course. Of course, it was going to cost something. Even if it was for a good purpose, Philemon would always demand a price. Another thing those two had in common. _

_ “Please don’t waste our time.” Philemon crossed his arms, leaning back against the desk as he locked eyes with the prince. _

_ “All I want is the name of your child.” Tatsuya’s eyes widened. _

_ “Absolutely not!” _

_ “Deal!” said Jun without a moment’s hesitation. Tatsuya bit his tongue and the sigh that was forming. “Tell us what you know.” _

_ “The Dark Lord created a powerful curse long ago. I can only assume that’s what he meant when he said that a magic as dark as his own will… well, I don’t have to finish that for you.” That would tear away all they love. Jun raised an eyebrow. _

_ “A curse?” _

_ “Not just  _ a _ curse, Kurosu.  _ The _ curse. It’s called the Dark Curse. And if he’s right…” Philemon sighed, “then he finally found someone to enact it. Soon, we’ll all be in a prison much like his… only far worse. We will be torn from this land, our memories and our very beings stripped from us. Time will stop, and we’ll be stuck in a never ending loop where everything we love is taken from us. Even in that pit, he’ll be victorious. No more happy endings.”  _

_ There was something tightening around the prince’s throat, that same force twisting his stomach into knots. That couldn’t be true. A curse like that didn’t exist. Despite their history together, Tatsuya knew that Philemon never lied. The curse was real, and it was coming. As much as he wanted to leave it here, there was one question that had to be asked. _

_ “What does our son have to do with this?” Tatsuya asked. That was the only thing that brought him here in the first place. _

_ “Your child is the only one with the power to stop the Curse. At this point, he is our only hope,” said Philemon. ...no wonder He wanted to get his hands on the child. Philemon stood up straight, his gaze turning to stone along with his tone. “Get the boy to safety… Get the boy to safety, and fifteen years from now, he will find us.” _

_ “Then what?” asked Jun. _

_ “Then? Then the events will be set in motion to begin the final battle. And there is no stopping that.” That had been the final nail in the coffin. _

_ “We’ve heard enough,” said Tatsuya. He turned, heading towards the door. He wanted his son — his six year old son — to fight some battle? He was a child. And Philemon had the nerve to put the weight of the world on his shoulders? Tatsuya didn’t want to hear anymore of what he had to say. _

_ “Wait, Suou.” Tatsuya stopped, his hand already on the door’s handle. “We had a deal. I need your son’s name.” Tatsuya was quiet, gritting his teeth. “Suou, you can’t get out of this. I need his name.” The prince whirled around with a fire in his eyes. _

_ “There is no way I am giving you his name—!” _

_ “Ren.” The flames melted away as Jun spoke. He sighed, staring at the floor. “His name is Ren.” There was a moment, with his son’s name still hanging up in the air and echoing on Tatsuya’s ears. Philemon merely sighed before giving Jun a solemn nod. Jun joined his partner at his side. The two left Philemon’s domain as quickly as they had arrived. _

_ There was a curse coming. And they had to prepare for it. _

* * *

Darkness had fallen by the time Ren had arrived in the town Lavenza had given him directions to. The stars were glowing bright in the sky, an all too rare sight for the city boy. He guessed it had to be the atmosphere of the town. It looked like it was stuck in the past, with the streets being oddly quiet for this time of night. Ren had to admit. The tranquility was a nice change of pace. The clocktower in the middle of town was strange, though.

“Okay, Lavenza,” Ren began, his eyes darting briefly from the road to the girl sitting next to him. She was still immersed in that book of hers. “How about telling me an address?”

“Forty-four,” Lavenza snapped her book shut loudly. “I’m not telling you.” What. Ren put the brakes on the car. He got out. The building heat inside was stifling. He needed to think. Lavenza followed suit. Ren groaned, leaning against the car’s door.

“Look, it’s been a long night and it’s almost…” He looked up at the clocktower. All his frustration faded immediately upon seeing the time displayed. “8:15?” That couldn’t be right. There was no way it took two hours to drive all the way here. Ren reached for the phone in his pocket to check what the time actually was when Lavenza stopped him.

“That clock hasn’t moved the entire time I’ve been here,” said Lavenza, causing Ren to look up at her. She was as calm as she had been during the whole trip. For the most part, anyway. “Time here is frozen. Because of the Curse. Fifteen years ago, the Dark Curse was cast that sent everyone from the Enchanted Forest here.” Ren blinked.

“So… that’s the story you’re going with?” First it had been the storybook thng, and now it was this? She seemed to have a theme going on here, and Ren wasn’t about to believe a lick of it.

“It’s true. If they try to leave, I suspect that something bad will happen to them. I was only able to leave because the curse on myself is broken.” He narrowed his eyes.

“Awfully convenient.” She had really thought up these answers that quickly, huh? If he kept going, Ren was certain that he could find a hole in her story. Maybe even get to the truth. But Lavenza didn’t seem to see it that way.

“But it’s the truth!” Didn’t sound like the truth. Before Ren could argue this point with her, a woman’s voice broke through the calm September air. A middle-aged woman with short brown hair and a concerned expression rushed over to the pair. A dog jogged by her heels, its leash held tight in her hand.

“Lavenza!” called out the woman. Lavenza got down, ignoring her in favor of greeting the overly enthusiastic pup. “What are you doing out here at this hour? Is everything alright?” Lavena stopped. She sighed, standing up straight.

“I’m fine, Dr. Sonomura,” she said with a sigh, not meeting the woman’s eye. Sonomura’s gaze fell upon a very uncomfortable Ren, still standing there besides Lavenza.

“Who’s this?” He could hear the defense in her voice.

“I’m just giving her a ride home,” Ren reassured the woman. Wait. If she knew Lavenza... “Do you know where she lives?” To his relief, the woman nodded.

“Of course. Just keep driving until you reach the fork in the road. Take a right, and their house has this bright blue door in front of it. Shouldn’t be hard to miss.” Ren gave her a nod. At least now he had directions. The woman crouched down, returning her attention to Lavenza. “Hey, Lavenza? Where were you? Your sister has been worried sick since I called her and told her you never showed up for your session. Everyone’s been looking for you.”

“I took a field trip,” Lavenza replied. If that’s what you called taking a train all the way to Tokyo only to drag a stranger back to your hometown, then alright. Apparently, Sonomura didn’t seem to buy it.

“Lavenza, what did I tell you about lying? Giving into one’s darker desires is never a good idea. It doesn’t accomplish anything.” Lavenza stared at the asphalt. Ren knew that look on her face. It was one of pure guilt. He put a hand on her shoulder.

“Okay, well,” he said, “I should be getting her home.” The woman glanced at Ren, wanting to say something. She bit her lip before giving the young man a nod.

“Oh, right. Well… um… have a good night,” said Sonomura. “You be good, Lavenza.”

“Yes, Dr. Sonomura,” said Lavenza flatly. Ren watched as the doctor turned and left the two alone once more. There was one part of the conversation that stood out more than it should to him.

“So,” Ren began, giving Lavenza a look, “she’s your therapist?”

“I am not crazy,” Lavenza stated, throwing a glare up Ren’s way. To him, that meant yes, yes she was. Lavenza was seeing a therapist. That was all Ren had asked. Why was she getting so defensive?

“I didn’t say that. It’s just…” Ren glanced back at the direction Sonomura had headed in. He could no longer see her. “She doesn’t seem cursed to me.”

“She doesn’t know. None of them do. They don’t remember who they are.” Ren raised a brow.

“And yet you do?”

“Yes!” said Lavenza, a bit of excitement working its way into her tone. “I don’t know why I do. I feel as if it has something to do with my book. I didn’t get my memories back until I received it.”

“Again. Convenient.” Ren sighed. How long did it take her to come up with that one? “Alright, I’ll play along. Who’s your shrink supposed to be?”

“The queen of one of the allied kingdoms who just so happens to have reality altering powers,” said Lavenza without missing a beat. Ren stared at her. He sighed again. This was a really elaborate fantasy that she had made up, he had to admit that much.

“Of course, because anything else would be ridiculous.” Ren groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. He wondered what on Earth made Lavenza come up with that one. He opened his car door. “Come on, get in the car.” With a huff, Lavenza climbed back in. Ren began to drive in the direction Sonomura had pointed him in. Lavenza’s statement about her therapist echoed in his head, pounding away at his skull.

This was already getting out of hand. The sooner Ren dropped Lavenza off at her home, the better. All he wanted right now was to be rid of her. He wanted to get back to Tokyo, hopefully before this developing headache got any worse.

* * *

_ To say that the news that Tatsuya and Jun received was bad could be taken as an understatement. When it all went public, the land was in an uproar. The kings and queens who fought so hard to maintain peace were watching it crumble through their fingers. They needed to find a solution to this problem before things got out of hand. And that’s how Tatsuya found himself here. With the leaders of the five allied kingdoms sat around the table, ideas being thrown around on how to handle this inevitable threat lingering above their heads. _

_ “I say that we fight,” said the prince when asked about this opinion on the topic at hand. _

_ “Giving into one’s darker desires never accomplishes anything,” said the consort of Mikage’s queen, throwing a look Tatsuya’s way. _

_ “How many wars has a clear conscience won?” The man who had spoken up against him didn’t say a word, only offering up a sigh in reply. “We need to counteract this threat before the Curse can even be cast.” _

_ “Can we even trust Philemon?” asked Iwatodai’s red-haired queen. “After all he’s done? _

_ “We have no choice, Kirijo,” added Sumaru’s king and Tatsuya’s older brother, Katsuya, “It’s either that, or we miss our chance. Philemon has never been wrong before; we have to trust him about this. That curse is going to be cast unless we do something about it.” _

_ “What’s the point?” said Jun, the only one of Sumaru’s representatives who had remained sitting throughout the discussion. He hadn't said a word until this point, too. “The future has already been written.” _

_ “I refuse to believe that,” Tatsuya put a hand on his partner’s. “We can’t just lose.” There was no possible way that Tatsuya would sit idle during this. _

_ “Maybe we can.” Tatsuya knelt down beside his partner. The visit to Philemon was meant to put him at ease. If anything, it made things worse than they were before. He lifted Jun’s chin so that their eyes met. _

_ “We’ve beaten the odds before.” Jun glanced down at the table. “Jun, if you believe him about this, then you must believe him about Ren. He’s our only hope.” _

_ “Yes, but how are we going to protect him from this curse? How is he supposed to find us in order to break it?” That… wasn’t something that Tatsuya had thought about. He didn’t know what to tell him. Luckily, the answer came in the form of one of the alliance members slamming their hands on the table and standing. _

_ “Oh! I have an idea! ” said Mikage’s queen with a gasp, making heads turn to her. She turned, grabbing her companion by the arm. “Naoya, do you remember the tree in the palace courtyard?” _

_ “A tree? Our fate rests in a tree?” repeated Yasoinaba’s crown prince with a raised brow. The queen nodded, making the prince sigh. “Why don’t we go back to the fighting thing?” _

_ “Yosuke,” said the silver-haired guard as he placed a hand on his prince’s shoulder, “let’s hear her out.” Yosuke sighed, leaning back into his seat. _

_ “Queen Sonomura,” Tatsuya asked as he stood, eyeing the queen with a semblance of curiosity, “what are you talking about? _

_ “In our kingdom, there’s an enchanted tree,” explained Sonomura. “I believe if we fashion it into a vessel, it will be able to protect the young prince from the Curse.” _

_ “Okumura,” said Katsuya to the princess at the far end of the table. She sat up straighter upon hearing her name. “Do you think your men could build such a thing?” _

_ “I’ll send word for my finest carpenter to be brought here at once!” Okumura said with a nod. _

_ “This will work,” said Sonomura, reassuring the two parents. “I have faith that it does.” Naoya put a hand on his queen’s. Unlike the rest of the group, he wasn’t as excited about their plan. Sonomura’s own expression dropped with the look he gave her. _

_ “However…” Naoya began, turning towards the Sumaru representatives, “there is a catch. While the tree does have power, it also has its limits. And here, it… it can only protect one.” _

_ Tatsuya and Jun looked back to the corner of the room. Ren was playing in there with Maya, not a care in the world. The tree could only take one. That meant the child had to go through alone. Tatsuya could feel his heart start to sink. _

* * *

Dr. Sonomura’s directions had been nothing more than pure and true. She wasn’t wrong about the blue door either. The color seemed to glow in the dim street lighting with how bright it was. Ren pulled up to the house that displayed the door, getting out of the car. Lavenza followed him halfway up the path until she grabbed his sleeve and jerked him to a halt.

“Please don’t make me go in there.” Lavenza was begging at this point. Ren sighed as she let him go.

“I have to. I’m sure your parents are worried sick.” Lavenza shook her head.

“I don’t have parents. I live with my brother and my sister, and Margaret isn’t…” She shook her head once again, her arms wrapping themselves tightly around the rest of her body, “she isn’t the same. She doesn’t love me. She only pretends to.”

“Lavenza,” said Ren, taking a gentler tone and crouching down next to her. “I’m sure that’s not true.” Before Lavenza could retort, the bright blue door swung open.

“Lavenza!” Lavenza went rigid as Ren stood. Standing in the doorway were a woman and a young man. Both of them shared Lavenza’s platinum blonde hair and golden eyes. The woman’s hair fell to her shoulders in waves. Similar to Lavenza, her hair was held back with a headband. She shared the same expression as the man behind her: concern that was quickly melting away into relief.

“Lavenza, are you alright?” asked the woman as she rushed towards the girl, getting down and taking her face into her hands. Lavenza fought not to look her in the eye. So… if Lavenza was to be believed, then this had to be the infamous Margaret she was just talking about. “Where have you been? What happened?”

“It’s none of your business.” Lavenza jerked back, pulling herself out of Margaret’s reach. “And get away from me!” Without another thought, Lavenza ran into the house, pushing past the young man who was standing there. Margaret’s gaze fell upon Ren. She slowly stood, raising a brow as she looked him up and down.

“Um… Hi?” was the only thing Ren could really think of to say.

“I’ll just go…” said the man at the door, glancing between Margaret and Ren as be began to back slowly into the house, “check on Lavenza. Make sure that she’s… a-alright.” There was no hesitation as he rushed back into the home. Ren was left alone with Lavenza’s older sister.

“Um…” Margaret sighed, turning toward the door.

“Would you like to come inside, Mr…?” she began, her eyes still on Ren.

“Um… Amamiya. Ren Amamiya.” She nodded.

“Would you like to come inside, Mr. Amamiya? You must’ve had quite the long trip.” Ren followed her up to the front step. “Water?” Ren let out a sheepish laugh.

“Got anything stronger?” Margaret merely offered a small grin. She stepped aside, allowing Ren access into her living room. Ren sat down, relaying the story to her as Margaret disappeared into the kitchen: how Lavenza had showed up at his apartment, dragged him back to her town. He left out a few details though, such as the whole fairy tale reveal and the real reason that Lavenza came to Ren.

“So, that’s pretty much what happened,” said Ren as his tale came to a close. Margaret hummed as she re-entered the room, holding a glass filled with a cloudy amber liquid out to him. He accepted it with hesitation. “I just have one question, though. How did she find me?”

“No idea,” said Margaret with a simple shrug. She sighed. “I should be relieved that you were the one she went to, and not anyone else. I’m sure that if it  _ were _ someone else that they wouldn’t have brought her home. But… you do worry me quite a bit, Mr. Amamiya.”

“I don’t see why I should.” Margaret lowered her gaze before giving Ren a nod. He held back a sigh, staring down at the glass in hand. There was nothing to worry about, but he couldn’t blame her for being concerned in the first place. Ren picked his head up when he heard someone descending the stairs. The young man from before made his reappearance in the room’s doorway.

“Sister, you can relax,” he said, running a hand through swept back hair. “Other than being tired, Lavenza is fine.” Margaret gave him a nod.

“Thank you, Theodore,” she told her brother. “Can you call Dojima and let him know Lavenza returned?” Theodore nodded before taking his leave again. Margaret sighed, dropping down into the empty space next to Ren. “I’m sorry my sister dragged you from your life. I don’t know what’s gotten into her lately.”

“Kid’s going through a rough patch,” Ren said with a shrug, taking a swig from the glass in hand. “It happens.” Who knew how many times he went through something similar? Though the fairytale thing… no. He couldn’t count that out, either.

“You have to understand. Ever since our parents passed, balancing things have been difficult. You have a job, I assume?” Ren nodded. “Imagine having another one on top of it. That’s what it’s been like raising my siblings. So, I push for order. I suppose I do come across as strict, but it’s necessary if Lavenza wishes to excel in life. That doesn’t make me… evil… does it?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Ren replied with a shrug. He took a sip from the glass again. “I wouldn't worry about that. It’s probably because of the whole curse thing.” Margaret stared at him.

“What curse thing?”

“Her book. How she thinks everyone is a character in it? That everyone in this town is under some curse?” Margaret continued to stare.

“I’m sorry,” she said with a nervous grin, “but I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Ren opened his mouth to explain, only to promptly shut it again. He knew how it would sound if he tried to explain it.

“You know what? It’s none of my business.” Ren placed the glass on the table in front of him and stood. “She’s your sister, and I really should be heading back to Tokyo.” Margaret shook her head.

“O-Of course.” Margaret cleared her throat, coming back to her senses. “Once again, thank you for bringing her home.”

“No problem.” Margaret showed Ren out, giving him another ‘thank you’ to show off her gratitude. As Ren walked down the path to his car, he glanced back at the house. There was someone staring at him from the second floor window. Lavenza shut the curtain, cutting off Ren’s access to her face. Ren sighed as he climbed back into his car. 

The deed was done. He could finally go home now. At least the pain in his head subsided. Maybe he could get enough sleep and not be dead on his feet tomorrow morning when he had to drag himself back into work.

Ren was nearly out of town when rain had started to fall. He had turned onto the road leading out of it when a thud caught his attention. He took his eyes off of the road for a moment. Sliding across his car’s floor was Lavenza’s book. Ren sighed, an exasperated smirk forming on his face.

“Sneaky little…” Ren muttered under his breath. How did he not notice that Lavenza didn’t have her book? The thing was bigger than her head. He sighed again. Great, now he had to turn back a return the thing to her. Who knew what would happen when she realized it wasn’t with her anymore?

He turned back to where he was going. There was something in the middle of the road. Ren’s eyes widened. He swerved to avoid it, his tires skidding on the slick road. There was a crash, and Ren was thrown forward.

The last thing he remembered was his own scream, the wetness of the rain and his head slamming against the steering wheel before the world went dark.

* * *

_ Days went on, and the construction of the vessel to protect Ren was underway. The carpenter had decided on a wardrobe, claiming that it would be the easiest and quickest way to get Ren to safety when the need arose. The way it sounded was unsettling, but Tatsuya forced it into the back of his mind. _

_ Jun, however, could not hide his disdain for what the plan called for. He made it clear as the wardrobe neared its completion. He had been standing on the small balcony outside of their room, listening to Tatsuya go on about the Curse when he could no longer take it. _

_ “I don’t want to do this,” said Jun suddenly, cutting Tatsuya off mid-sentence and digging his nails into the balcony’s railing. Tatsuya sighed. He crossed over to his partner. _

_ “This is the way it has to be,” he said. He didn’t like this either, but there was nothing that neither of them could do to change it. _

_ “I know that, but leaving a six year old boy on his own in a new world? It doesn’t sound right to me.” It didn’t sound right to Tatsuya, either. _

_ “I don’t like it either, but as I said, this is how it has to be.” There was nothing else he could say. They couldn’t fight what was going to happen. Tatsuya laced his arms around Jun’s waist, resting his chin on his shoulder. “Ren will go through, and he’ll be safe from the Curse.” _

_ “Fifteen years, Tatsuya. It will take fifteen years before I see my child again.” _

_ “What’s fifteen years when you have love? I have faith that Ren will save us, just as we did him.” Tatsuya pressed a kiss to Jun’s temple. Jun sighed, leaning onto him. _

_ The tender moment was broken by the sound of a frantically ringing bell. Tatsuya and Jun split apart, fear leaping into their hearts at the sound of the warning. They didn’t need to ask what the bell signaled. They could see it from where they were. In the distance, a cloud of thick, dark smoke was progressing towards the castle, lightning crackling from within. _

_ Tatsuya and Jun exchanged a look with each other, their expressions a perfect mirror of the other’s. They bolted out of the room. The Curse had been cast. And it was heading straight for them. _

* * *

When Ren woke, his head hurt even worse than when he arrived in town. He pushed himself up on the bed… wait. Bed? Last thing Ren knew, he was driving home then… he winced, doubling over and resting his head on his knees. He could feel a bruise forming on his forehead. What did he do last night?

Ren raised his head. He was met with the familiar sight of prison bars. Panic surged through his veins. Ren scrambled back, losing his balance and falling off the bed onto a cold, stone floor. He groaned. This morning was not going well, and he had barely been awake for five minutes.

As Ren’s mind started to catch up, he pushed himself onto his knees and finally got a good look at his surroundings. He may not have recognized where he was, but he knew what it was. He wasn’t in prison. He was in a holding cell at a police station. That may have been a better situation, but it was still not one Ren wanted to be in. In the cell next to him was a tall man with bleached-blonde hair, whistling a tune as he leaned against the bars. There was a scar above his left eye, both of which had focused on Ren when they noticed he had been staring.

“What’re you lookin’ at?” said the man harshly.

“I uh…” Ren stammered, still not quite sure what to say. He slowly stood, words coming out half-formed from his mouth at a kilometer per second. Luckily, he didn’t have to say anything. The door to the office had opened, and whom Ren suspected to be an officer had entered. They were short, with short, dark blue hair and grey eyes. They weren't dressed exactly like an officer, but they way they strode up to the holding cells made Ren think twice about that.

“Kanji, he just woke up. Give him a minute,” said the officer, to Ren’s cellmate. The man said nothing. The officer’s eyes turned to Ren. Unlike his cellmate, they were calm and put Ren at ease. “So, you’re the stranger who came into town yesterday? The one who brought Lavenza home.” Ren nodded.

“It’s not as big a deal as you think. I was just dropping her off.”

“Tch. I don’t blame ya,” said the man in the cell. hat did the officer call him again? Kanji or something like that? Ren opened his mouth to attempt some sort of replay when another man entered the room. His unkempt hair was a dark blue, with his bangs covering most of his grey eyes. He had a perpetual tired look on his face. Given the fact that he was in uniform and swinging the holding cell key from his finger, Ren could definitely say with confidence that he was an officer.

“So, the bail went through,” said the male officer as he unlocked the holding cell next to Ren. “Make sure he gets home, Shirogane.” His co-worker, Shirogane, nodded.

“I will,” they said.

“Don’t need a babysitter,” said the blonde as he strode out of the cell.

“Then maybe you should think about behaving. Put on a smile and stay out of trouble. I don’t think Naoto would be willing to bail you out again.” Kanji and Shirogane (or Naoto? Maybe a first name?) took their leave. Ren was left alone with the officer, who turned to him as soon as they were alone. “And you.”

“Why am I here?” he asked. The pain in his head was only made worse as he tried to figure out what happened on his way out of town that would land him in a holding cell.

“Turns out Margaret’s drinks are stronger than she thought they were,” said the officer. Ren leaned up against the bars.

“I wasn’t drunk.” He didn’t taste a lick of alcohol in whatever the woman gave him last night. “There was something in the middle of the road that I didn’t see until the last minute… The book…” Ren groaned, making the officer raises a brow.

“A book?” Before Ren could clarify what exactly he had meant, someone’s voice echoed from the entrance of the station.

“Minato! Kotone!” Ren groaned again, leaning his forehead against the bars. He knew the voice. Margaret cae rushing into the station, nearly falling as she came to a stop.

“My cousin’s out with Akechi right now,” he explained as she stood upright. “Margaret, is something wrong?”

“Lavenza ran away again. We have to…” Margaret’s eyes fell on the cell, her face dropping when she spotted its occupant. Ren merely offered a forced smile and a wave. “What are you still doing here?”

“Relax,” Ren said dropping the act, “if you think I have anything to do with your sister’s disappearance, you’re wrong. I was here all night. I haven’t seen her since I dropped her off with you.”

“She wasn’t in her room this morning,” Margaret crossed her arms, not taking her laser-focused gaze off of Ren for a second.

“Did you ask her friends? Maybe she’s with them.”

“She doesn’t have friends.” That was something that Ren found hard to believe. The only way you didn’t have friends was if you were the strange kid who believed in magic and would punch anyone in the face who said other ... wise… Okay, yeah. Lavenza not having any friends was believable.

“Did you check her computer? If there’s anything that can help us find her, there’s a good chance it’s on there.”

“And you know this how?” asked the officer in the room, who’s name Ren now knew to be Minato.

“I work in the Tokyo Police Department. You pick up on a few things there,” Ren explained with a sigh. Something came to mind, and a smirk formed on his face. “I have an idea. How about you let me out of here, and I’ll help you find her?

“I’ll go ask Dojima,” said Minato before Margaret could even input her opinion. The woman just sighed as the officer disappeared from the room.

Apparently whomever Minato had gone to, they agreed to go along with Ren’s idea (as long as his bail was paid for at least, Ren still wasn’t sure who did that). Margaret led the pair into her home, and up to Lavenza’s room. Ren began to fulfill his end of the deal the moment she put in Lavenza’s computer password. He bit back a groan upon seeing the blank screen before him.

“Clever girl, she cleared her inbox…” Unfortunately for her, Ren was clever too. He dug into his jacket, pulling out a flash drive and sticking into the USB port.

“What’s that?” Minato asked, leaning over Ren’s shoulder.

“A little hard disk recovery thing I like to use,” Ren explained as his program went to work and he pushed Minato back a little. “Mostly when someone accidentally deletes something. It’s a lot easier to just stick this thing in then get the IT guys all the way up on our floor.”

“Remind me to get a copy of that from you.”

“Noted.” Ren clicked his tongue upon seeing the variety of different emails that Lavenza had deleted appear on the screen, each one from various websites with incredible amounts of information. “Looks like your sister didn’t find me by accident. She did quite her fair share of research.” Ren continued his scan, coming across on thing that stood out to him more than anything. “I’m assuming neither one of you gave her a credit card.”

“She’s thirteen.” Ren rolled his eyes. Not the answer he expected, but he could do well without the underlying snark.

“Well, she used one. Let me see if I can…” With a few simple clicks, Ren was able to pull up the transaction record. He stared at the card owner’s name. “Jun Kurosu…” That name sounded vaguely familiar. Why did it sound familiar? Shaking his head to clear his mind, Ren turned to face Margaret. “Who’s Jun Kurosu?”

Margaret sighed.

“Lavenza’s homeroom teacher.”

* * *

_ They ran through the halls, the sound of their own hearts like a nerve-wracking drumbeat echoing in their ears. This was earlier than they had expected. The wardrobe wasn’t even finished yet, and Ren… where was Ren?! The chaos that the castle had descended into was certainly not helping the situation, making matters worse both mentally and physically _

_ “This can’t be happening now!” Tatsuya heard Jun mutter under his breath as they turned into another empty corridor. _

_ “It’s going to be okay. The wardrobe is almost finished,” Tatsuya said, trying to keep up with his partner and not fall into a doomed mindset. “We just need to find Ren!” _

_ “Tatsuya!” a familiar voice called out, the sound echoing off of the walls. The pair came to a screeching halt as Lisa rushed up to them, her face red and panting. She swallowed down something before going on. “It’s done. The wardrobe is done.” Tatsuya could not have asked for better news. “Where’s Ren?” _

_ “We don’t know,” Jun replied with an exasperated sigh, trying to catch his own breath in the process. They had to do something. There had to be something that they could do. Standing around wasn’t going to accomplish anything. And with as big as the castle was... _

_ “Split up. Do whatever you can to find him. Take him to the wardrobe as soon as you can,” said Tatsuya, his mind spinning like an out-of-control clock. “Go!” Lisa gave the prince a nod before running off in the opposite direction. Tatsuya went to do the same, only stopped when Jun grabbed his wrist. _

_ “Do you know what you’re doing?” he asked. “What if this plan fails? What if—?!” _

_ “We’ll find him.” Tatsuya twisted his wrist, taking hold of Jun’s hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “We’ll get Ren to the wardrobe. It’s the only way to save him. To save everyone.” _

_ “Do you even hear yourself?” Unfortunately, yes. Yes, he could. But still, Tatsuya went on. _

_ “We have to believe that he’ll come back for us. We have to give Ren his best chance.” There was a moment. Jun pulled his partner in close, exchanging a deep kiss between the two. Though the expression on his face told Tatsuya that he didn’t want to, Jun let Tatsuya go as he pulled away. _

_ “Be careful.” Tatsuya nodded. The two split, each darting off in another direction in search of their son and their savior. _

* * *

Margaret didn’t hesitate in dragging Ren down to the local middle school. He was only lucky that she didn’t literally do that. His arm would have been torn from his socket if she did. Minato helpfully returned Ren’s car to him, as well as the keys. So, there was at least a plus to this situation.

Ren followed Margaret into the school, and towards the second year classrooms. He could hear a lesson starting to come to an end as they approached what he suspected was Lavenza’s classroom. The voice coming from the room… Ren couldn’t place where, but he did know that he had heard the voice before. But where…? A dull throb formed in his head.

Margaret opened the door just as the bell rang. The lesson came to a close, with the students breaking from their school mindset as they began to gather up their things. Ren stopped in the doorway, staring at the teacher.

Jun Kurosu was a man somewhere in his late thirties. He had black hair, with his bangs swept to the side to cover on of his brown eyes. That face... Why did he feel like he had seen that face before? And why did it make his headache worse? Ren only stopped staring when something jostled his shoulder.

“We’ll continue with this after the break. No running!” said their teacher as a few of his students raced out of the classroom, nearly knocking Margaret into Ren as they did so. Kurosu raised a brow as he spotted the two in the doorway. “Ms. Velvette. Might I ask what you’re doing here?”

“Do you know where Lavenza is?” Margaret asked, wasting no time as she walked into the classroom, Ren absentmindedly trailing behind her.

“I assumed she was home with you or Theodore.”

“Would I be asking you this if she were?” Margaret sighed before gesturing to the young man behind her. “Did you give her your credit card so she could find him?” Kurosu stared at Ren. Rn was certain that he had seen him before. Why couldn't he figure out why?!

“I’m sorry,” said the teacher with an eyebrow raised, “Who are you?”

“I’m uh… um…” Why the hell was Ren stammering like this? It was just a middle school teacher! “R-Ren. Ren Amamiya.” Kurosu merely nodded in his direction.

“He was the one who brought her back last night,” Margaret explained, with Ren silently thanking her from doing so and avoiding him further embarrassment.

“Y-Yeah,” he said before sighing, “You don’t know anything about this, do you?”

“Unfortunately, no,” Kurosu replied, searching through his wallet. He let out a low groan, leaving Ren to suspect that he just found out about Lavenza’s little pickpocketing act. He sighed, stuffing the item back in the bag it belonged in. “Why did I give her that book?”

“What exactly is this book that I keep hearing about?” said Margaret sharply.

“It’s a collection of old stories I gave her about a month ago. Lavenza is a special girl. She’s smart, creative and… well… alone. I thought she needed it more than I did.”

“What she needs is a dose of reality. This is a waste of time,” Margaret groaned, her golden-eyed glare focusing in on Ren. “Have a nice trip back to the city, Amamiya.” She turned a left, knocking over a stack of books in the process. Kurosu sighed, bending down to clean up the mess when it was certain that Margaret had no intent on returning. Ren knelt down beside him, gathering up what he could.

“Sorry to bother you like this,” Ren said, flashing a nervous grin as he placed his collection back where they belonged.

“No, it’s… okay.” Kurosu muttered something else under his breath as he glanced over at the door. He huffed out a sigh. “I suppose this is partially my fault.” Well, at least he wasn’t denying his part in all of this mess.

“Can I ask you something?” Ren got a hum as his reply. “How exactly was that book supposed to help?”

“I thought it would be a way for Lavenza to deal with a world that doesn’t make any sense.” Kurosu sighed as he stood, placing the books he had collected back on his desk. “She doesn’t exactly have the easiest life.”

“Yeah,” Ren glanced at the door, “her sister’s kind of a hardass.”

“It’s more than that. She lost half of her family in an accident that they all were in a few years back, and since then, she’s been wrestling with a single question: why was I the one left behind?”

Ren stared at the floor, sliding his hands into the pockets of his jacket. He couldn’t argue. Though the circumstances leading up to it had been different, Ren could understand what Lavenza was going through. Images flashed in the back of his mind along with that single question.

“Mr. Amamiya?” Kurosu shook Ren’s shoulder, once again breaking the trance that had fallen over him for what felt like the third time that day. Ren sighed.

“Nothing, I’m okay. Just…” Ren sighed again, shaking his head to try and rid himself of any lingering thoughts. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Look, I gave that book to her because I wanted Lavenza to have the most important thing in the world: hope,” Kurosu explained. “Believing in the possibility of a happy ending is a powerful thing.” Ren bit his lip. The teacher seemed to know his student well. There was no harm in asking this, was there?

“… do you have any idea where she  _ might _ be?” Kurosu sighed.

“You may want to check her palace.”

* * *

_ Tatsuya muttered a string of curses under his breath. He didn’t know why, and he didn’t know how, but nights dressed in dark armor had flooded the castle. The insignia on their clothes dove fear into his heart, and only spurred him on further to find Ren before they could. This day could not get any worse. _

_ Tatsuya, with his sword drawn and a body and his feet, was running purely on adrenaline now. Sweat coated his palm, making it hard to keep a steady grip on the weapon in hand. Ge grit his teeth. He didn’t have time for this. He had something he needed to do. he needed to protect his— _

_ “Papa?” Tatsuya pun on his heel. Peering around one of the doors was Ren, shaking and tears pooling in his eyes. _

_ “Ren,” Tatsuya let out a sigh of relief as he dropped to his knees. Ren dashed into his father’s arms, clinging on tightly to his shirt to the point that he threatened to tear it. He was scared, Tatsuya could tell. Tears were already soaking through to his shoulder. _

_ “It’s going to be alright, okay?” he muttered, shifting the boy to a single arm and readjusting the grip on his sword so that he could stand, “I got you, you’ll be okay.” Ren gave a tentative little nod. He had Ren. Now all he had to do was get him to the wardrobe before the Curse hit. Easy enough. _

_ If it weren’t for the dark knights standing in his way. Ren buried his face into his father’s shoulder. Okay. So, it looked like they were going to do this. Tatsuya tightened his hold on Ren as one of the knights rushed him. _

_ The prince ducked under the swing of the blade, counteracting with his own slash to his opponent’s thigh. These was easier when he was alone. But with Ren holding onto him, it created a second target. It was that target that the knights wanted. It’s why they were here. They wanted to keep the savior from makin his escape. _

_ No matter how many knights Tatsuya struck down on his path to the wardrobe, more seemed to keep popping up in his path. He made quick work of his attackers, disposing and rendering anyone who came at him incapable of fighting any further. All but one, which had snuck around to try and get a hit at the young prince’s son. _

_ He didn’t have time to block the oncoming blow. Tatsuya twisted, throwing his own body in the way on the weapon to keep the blade from even nicking his son. He let out as hiss as the sword sliced through his arm. He felt Ren flinch, blunt nails digging into Tatsuya’s neck. _

_ Ignoring the stinging in his arm, Tatsuya raced to the room where the wardrobe was being kept. He didn’t waste a second in kicking open the door and rushing inside. They were safe. He had made it. _

_ Tatsuya made his way over to the wardrobe, flinging the doors open. He knelt down, carefully placing Ren inside and leaving his sword on the ground next to him. The small boy was shaking worse than a leaf in a storm. Knowing what he was about to do, Tatsuya could feel something start to tighten around his throat. Nothing could have prepared him for how hard this was going to be. _

_ Tatsuya felt for what was hanging around his neck. He swiftly removed it. In the palm of his hand rested an old, silver pocket watch an a thin metal chain. Tatsuya placed the chain around the child’s neck. It was a token — a memento. A memory to ensure that Ren knew that his parents were always with him, even if they couldn’t be there in person. That he was loved. _

_ "Papa…" Tears were flooding Ren’s eyes. Tatsuya wiped them away as they began to fall. _

_ “We love you, Ren. Never forget that your father and I love you more than anything in the world.” Tatsuya pressed a kiss to his son’s forehead. “Find us.” Tatsuya shut the doors. He locked the wardrobe. His heart broke as he felt a ripple of magic cut through the air. _

_ Tatsuya didn’t notice what was going on behind him until it was too late. He heard the armoured footsteps. He spun around to face his attackers, snatching up his sword from the ground. The prince let out a choked gasp as fe felt the cold metal pierce his body. His sword clattered to the ground. Tatsuya stared at the sword sticking out of his torso. _

_ The knight removed his blade. Tatsuya dropped onto his knees. Blood quickly began to pour from his wound. He pressed a shaking hand to it, hoping to prolong the inevitable. It was a futile effort. One of the knight kicked the man away from the wardrobe, sending the prince rolling across the floor. He didn’t have the strength to push himself back up. _

_ Tatsuya could only watch as the knights bashed at the wardrobe door. It broke open with a sharp crack. With what little strength he had left, Tatsuya let a smirk curl up when he caught sight of what was in the wardrobe. It was nothing but air. _

_ It had worked. The magic had done its job. Ren was safe, and there was nothing that could be done to go after him. They had won. The ghost of a smirk lingered on Tatsuya’s face as his eyes closed. _

* * *

To say that Ren was confused by what Kurosu meant by Lavenza’s ‘palace’ was a bit of an understatement. All he said after that was to head down to the shore nearby. But, upon seeing exactly what was waiting for him on the beach, Ren had to admit. It was a pretty accurate way to describe what he found.

Set up on the beach was a large, wooden structure in the vague shape of a castle. Sitting there and staring at the sand was Lavenza. Gathering his strength, Ren picked up the book from his car’s floor, walking out to meet her. She jumped when Ren tapped her shoulder, too focused to whatever she was looking at to notice him. Ren held up the book between her and him.

“You left this in my car,” he said, watching as Lavenza’s eyes lit up upon Ren placing it back into her hands. He sat down next to her on the wooden structure. It had a near perfect view of the town’s landscape, as well as the frozen clock tower. “It still hasn’t moved, has it?”

“I thought that when I brought you here, things would begin to change,” Lavenza said, running her thumb over the cover of the book before opening it. “That the final battle will start.” Ren let out a sigh.

“I’m not meant to fight any battles, kid.” Any battle that Ren found himself fighting was a losing one. That had been discovered the hard way, and a way that Ren wanted to forget.

“Yes, you are.” Was she really pushing for this? “That’s your destiny: to defeat the darkness that creeps into people’s hearts. You’re meant to break the Curse and bring back everyone’s happy endings.” Ren bit back a groan.

“Cut that out.” He dug his nails into the wood. “It's not true.” There was no way it could possibly be true. Curses? Happy endings? They didn’t exist. Magic didn’t exist.

“You don’t have to be hostile. I know you like me, I can tell. You’re just… pushing me away because I make you feel guilty.” Ren glanced over at her. Lavenza was staring absentmindedly at one of the illustrations in her book. She shut it before Ren could get a decent look at it. “It’s okay. You don’t want to get hurt again. You’ve lost your parents, and love has been all too rare in your life. You’re afraid to get close to anyone else.”

“How do you know that?”

“My book,” said Lavenza, holding up the object in question before placing it in her lap once again. “Your parents didn’t abandon you, Mr. Amamiya. They loved you with all their hearts. They sent you away in order to give you your best chance. You’re the Savior.”

“Listen to me, kid,” Ren said with a sigh as he stood, sliding his hands into the pockets of his jacket. “I am not in any book. I’m a real person. And I’m no Savior. You were right about one thing, though… no one else should get hurt. Now, come on. Before your sister gives me a lashing.” Ren stumbled as Lavenza leapt forward without warning, wrapping an arm tightly around his waist.

“Please don’t take me back,” Lavenza said, her free hand curling tight on the fabric of Ren’s jacket. “Please, just stay for a week — one week, that’s all I ask of you. One week, and then you’ll remember. You’ll see that I’m not crazy.”

“I have to get you back to your sister.” Ren twisted, turning to face Lavenza. He took her hands, prying the girl off of him. Or at least he tried to. Lavenza’s grip only grew tighter.

“No! You don’t know what it’s like! My life… My life sucks!”

Ren finally snapped.

“You want to know what sucks? Being left behind at a diner!” Ren stepped back, successfully pushing Lavenza away from him. “My parents always said that they would always be there for me, Lavenza, but they never were! They left me there, and they never came back! I ended up in the foster system, where I wasn’t even wanted by the families that took me in! No one wanted me. No one cared about me. No one has ever—!” Ren cut himself off, hearing his voice echo off the waves.

_ No one has ever loved me. _

Lavenza fell quiet, her fingers curling around the cover of her book. All Ren could hear now was the ocean crashing against the shore. She didn’t understand. There was no way she could possibly understand what had happened to him.

“Look, Lavenza. Your sister…” Ren sighed again, putting a hand on Lavenza’s shoulder. “Margaret and Theodore are trying their best. I know that it can be hard sometimes, and I know that you think they don’t love you, but at least they want you.” He turned to head back to his car.

“They didn’t leave you.” Ren stopped, glancing over at Lavenza over his shoulder.

“What?”

“That’s where the portal opened up. Your parents were trying to give you your best chance,” said the girl, “They sent you through to protect you. They love you, more than you know.” Ren sighed, shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his jacket. His hand curled tightly around what was inside.

“All I remember is being asked where my parents were and crying when I couldn’t answer.” That was the earliest thing he could recall. Everything before that was a blur. And each time Ren tried to remember, all it came up with was a horrible headache. The memories of his early childhood were lost to him, and there was no way to get them back. “Life isn’t a fairytale, Lavenza. This is reality, and we have to live with it.” Ren sighed, putting a hand on the girl’s shoulder. 

“Come on,” he said, leading Lavenza towards the car, “let’s get you back home before your sister sends out another search party.”

* * *

_ The castle was in utter chaos as those who served the disposed Dark Lord descended upon it. Thought their master was gone, their orders still remained. They were going to finish what He sought out to accomplish. Jun refused to let them, despite one simple fact. Much like them, he couldn’t find Ren. Unless... _

_ No, that wasn’t true. It couldn’t have been true. Someone must have found him. Someone must have sent him on through to the wardrobe. And that’s where Jun found himself moving. He raced towards that room, silently praying that Ren was already out of the Curse’s reach. _

_ Jun was not prepared for what he saw in that room. Lying on the ground was Tatsuya. He was still and lying in a puddle of the same blood that was staining his shirt. He let the dagger in his hand fall. _

_ “No! No, no, no!” Jun cried out. He dropped to Tatsuya’s side, taking the prince’s face into one of his hands. The other was pressed against the wound in an attempt to stop the color in Tatsuya’s face from fading away. “No, please… Tatsuya, please!” The prince didn’t move. His breathing was shallow, barely even there.  _

_ “Please… come back to me,” Jun let tears build in his eyes, doing nothing as they fell onto Tatsuya’s face. He pressed a kiss to his partner’s lips, hoping that this was some kind of dastardly spell. His eyes didn’t open. He was slipping away, and there was nothing that Jun could do about it. _

_ The door opened with a bang. Before Jun could even draw his weapon, two knights in darkened armor were pulling him away from Tatsuya. They pinned him against the wall, keeping his arms held down. When Jun tried to thrash, to fight, the knights only forced his back harder against the stone. _

_ “Don’t worry,” said one of the knights, “You won’t remember that you knew him, or even loved him.” Jun narrowed his gaze towards the men holding him down. _

_ “Why?” he said through his teeth, still trying furiously to throw them off of him “Why are you doing this?” _

_ “You know why.” A few more knights entered the room, exhausted and out of breath from the looks of it. “The child?” _

_ “Gone,” replied his comrade. “He was in the wardrobe, and then he was gone. He’s nowhere in the castle.” Jun stopped. Though the words meant bad news for the intruders, it meant the world to him. Whichever god had heard him was kind enough to answer his prayers. _

_ “He got away…” Jun muttered under his breath, a grin forming on his face. Ren had gotten away. He pushed the guards holding him back. With their mission a failure, the knights dropped him. Jun fell to his knees. He glared up at them with a renewed vigor. “He will lose. I know that now. Good will win.” _

_ The echo Jun’s last words fell short as the ceiling broke apart. A dark, thick smoke quickly took over the room, wrapping itself around Jun’s limbs and smothering him. Electricity zapped his limbs, rendering him unable to fight back with its burn. It was smothering him. He couldn't breathe. Black spots grew in his vision, filling it. He couldn’t see, he couldn’t breathe… Everything hurt. _

_ That was the last sensation he would know before waking up in a small town with a strange, burning sensation lingering in his body. Jun Kurosu would not remember anything that happened only a few hours ago. All that he knew was that he had to make it to school and to the class that would be waiting patiently for their teacher.  _

* * *

The second Lavenza got out of the car, she bolted. She pushed past Margaret when her older sister went to greet her, running inside. Margaret sighed as Ren walked up to the home’s front step to meet her. He caught sight of Lavenza pausing at the bottom of the staircase.

“Thank you for bringing her back,” said Margaret, not realizing where Ren was looking exactly. Lavenza had turned, staying still where she was. “Again.”

“Not a problem,” said Ren. Lavenza shared one last look with him before rushing up the stairs. He heard a door slam shut. Everything that had happened in the past two days came to his mind. This whole adventure seemed to begin when Ren did one thing.

“You know what’s crazy?” Ren began, stopping Margaret before she could return indoors. “Yesterday was my birthday. I made a wish for the first time in a long time on this little cake I bought myself. I didn’t want to be alone. And then, Lavenza showed up at my door.”

“I hope there isn’t a misunderstanding.” Ren raised a brow. Margaret’s soft expression turned as sharp as the edge of a knife. “Don’t mistake this as an invitation to stay. Sutori is a peaceful place. We prefer to keep it that way.”

“I wasn’t—” Margaret raised her hand, cutting Ren off there.

“No, you don’t get to speak. You don’t get to do anything but get in your car and drive back to your home, wherever that may be. If you do anything else, I will be forced to play a card I don’t want to. Goodbye, Mr. Amamiya.” Ren felt his throat go dry. Margaret had done a complete one eighty. What happened to the kind woman he had met upon arriving in town? Margaret began to head back into her home when Ren finally found his voice.

“Do you love her?” Margaret stopped cold. She turned, staring at Ren.

“Pardon?”

“Lavenza.” Ren swallowed down the lump in his throat. “Do you love her?”

“Of course I do,” Margaret replied with a raised brow.

“Then maybe you should let her know that.” Ren walked down the path, wincing when he heard the door behind him slam shut.

He came to a stop just outside his car, a hand ready to open the door. He caught sight of the clocktower in the distance. 8:15 was displayed across the entire town. It was only looking at the clock tower now that he understood why that time felt so familiar. Ren reached into his pocket, pulling out the one item he had cherished so much.

It was an old, silver pocket watch. He had strung a leather cord through the loop at the top when the chain broke years ago. Despite the difference in age, both had been well worn with time. Ren popped the cover open. Engraved on the inside of the watch’s cover were the words: ‘the most precious things cannot be seen’. Ren stared at the message.

He sighed, closing the watch’s cover and stowing it away. He climbed into his car.

_ The most precious things, huh? _ After fifteen years, Ren still had to figure out what exactly the saying engraved on the inside of his watch meant. But he had figured out one thing. This small town wasn’t what it appeared to be. Whatever it was, Ren knew that it wasn’t right. First it was Lavenza coming to find him, then it was Margaret’s strange behavior and that teacher… There was something about all of them that Ren couldn’t quite shake. His determination was only spurred on by Margaret’s threat.

Maybe he would taken Lavenza up on that little offer of staying awhile.

Ren wandered around town a bit, asking a few of the locals where he could find a place to spend the night. They all pointed him in the direction of the Amagi Inn. The place itself carried a peaceful atmosphere on the outside, the inside was another story. Despite how large the lobby was, it was rather empty. Considering the fact that Ren could clearly hear voices on the other side of the door near the front desk.

“You’re out all night, and now you’re trying to go out again!”

“I should have moved to Tokyo when I had the chance!” Biting his lip, Ren strode up to the front desk. If this was an inn, shouldn’t there be someone here? ...actually, he had a feeling that he knew where that someone went.

“I’m sorry if your mother’s heart attack interfere with that plan!” Ren smacked his hand down on the bell again. And again. And a couple more times until he heard the yelling cease. There were muffled voices, and then what Ren suspected to be something hitting the floor as footsteps resounded from the backroom.

The door next to the front desk swung open. Out stepped a young woman with long, straight black hair that was held neatly into place by a red headband. She also wore a cardigan in the same bright shade. She stared at Ren for a while before the young man cleared his throat.

“Sorry for um…” Ren laughed nervously, leaning back on his heels, “I would like a room.”

“R-Really?” Ren nodded. The woman cleared her throat. Even though an air of elegance now surrounded her, the embarrassment of realizing that her customer had overheard her argument was still evident on her face. She ducked the front desk. “Would you like a forest view or a square view? Normally, there’s an upgrade fee for the square, but as friends do, I’ll wave it.”

“Square is fine.” The woman nodded. 

“Name?” She opened the small book that sat on the front desk, From what he could read the names on the list were well worn out. When was the last time this place had a visitor? The woman snatched up a pen from the desktop.

“Uh… Ren. Ren Amamiya.”

“Ren.” Ren jumped at this new voice. He spun on his heel, whirling around to face this newcomer. He had been so quiet he didn’t hear him enter the inn.

Standing behind Ren was a middle-aged man dressed in a white coat. He had long, reddish-black hair that was tied back into a ponytail. Ren couldn’t see his eyes. Despite the fact that it was growing dark out, the man was wearing a darkened pair of sunglasses. Ren could, however, make out the golden butterfly detailing the glasses’ stems.

“What a lovely name,” said the man with a soft grin. Ren could swear that was meant to welcome him.

“Thanks.” The woman at the desk ducked into the back room for a moment. She returned not a minute later, now carrying a thick envelope in her hand. She held it out to the man who had just arrived.

“The rent’s all here,” she told him as it took it from her. He offered a small nod in her direction.

“Of course it is, Ms. Amagi. Thank you.” The man stowed the envelope away into the confines of his coat. He turned his attention to Ren once again. “You enjoy your stay… Ren.” With a short nod in his direction, the strange man left the inn as quietly as he came. Weird could not even begin to describe the encounter Ren just had to experience.

“Um…” Amagi spun the register to face Ren, handing him a pen to sign his name. “Who was that?”

“Philemon,” said Amagi with a sigh. Ren signed his name as quick as he could, dropping the pen on the desk. “He owns this place.”

“The inn?” That was weird. It was Amagi’s name in the inn’s title, right? So why would he—?

“The town.” Oh. Oh… still wasn’t something that Ren expected. Ms. Amagi huffed a sigh before returning to the friendly façade she greeted Ren with. “So, how long will you be staying?”

“A week…” Yeah, that’s what Lavenza had proposed, right? He would have to fight his boss like hell to get that time off but… what’s something that Ren wasn’t used to. He could handle it. “Just one week.”

“Great.” Amagi held out a key to Ren. “Welcome to Sutori.” Ren took it without much of a second thought.

Halfway across Sutori, Lavenza was staring at the clock tower from her window. A smile formed on her face. 

The clock in the center of town had begun to move.


End file.
